Shows / The #beBetter Podcast
The #beBetter Podcast
The goal of the #beBETTER brand is for everyone to show up
as the best version of themselves everyday.
#beBETTER provides opportunities for all of us to be better teammates, coaches, parents, teachers, administrators, partners and/or friends by looking inside ourselves, thinking about our choices and taking action on what we can do to work every day to be the best versions of ourselves and #beBETTER than we were yesterday!
Episodes
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #49: Aaron Goldman opens up about the difficult times in his life that now help him focus on helping others to play free.
Send us Fan Mail Aaron is a certified mental performance consultant but his path to his passion started with literally being hit by a car. His determination to…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #48: Shaina Afoa stops by to chat about her athletic upbringing as well as the key to success: accountability.
Send us Fan Mail Shaina Afoa tried just about every sport as a kid, including ballet, but her passion for basketball is clear. She played for a lot of great…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #47: Dr. Temo Carboni joins the podcast to share his journey from Mexicali, Mexico to college graduate and all around good guy.
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Temo Carboni began his football career in Mexico which led him to Victor Valley and eventually Humboldt State. Athletic ability and…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #46: Sandy Slade shares her journey from ball spinner to how an unfortunate injury helped her to focus on her next best adventure, writing a book.
Send us Fan Mail Sandy Slade, or as some may know her, Sandy “Spin” Slade, was an incredible basketball player and entertainer hailing from the small town of…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #45: Sam Demma drops by to talk about his new book "Return on Goodwill"
Send us Fan Mail Sam Demma joins the podcast to talk about his new book "Return on Goodwill" but the reality is that Sam just wants to make a positive impact…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #44: Dr. Jennifer Weiss joins the podcast to talk about her journey from the east coast to beautiful Hawaii.
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Jennifer Weiss is the chief of staff at Shriner’s Children’s in Hawaii and is part of a very exclusive group. She is part of the 6% of…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #43: Chris Emerson created the #beBETTER name many years ago during a sarcastic conversation with Dr. Herbert. Hear how it happened in this episode.
Send us Fan Mail Chris’s large act of kindness several years ago led to his friendship with one of our hosts but his work is a great topic of conversation…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #42: Spencer Adams joins the guys to talk about coaching wrestling, family and culture.
Send us Fan Mail Coach Spencer Adams has spent his career coaching wrestling at the high school and collegiate levels with one simple concept in mind, “If I…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #41: Wife, mom, friend, teacher and principal are just some of the titles that Kara Davidson juggles as she works to be better every day.
Send us Fan Mail Kara Davidson takes some time out of her busy schedule, with the kids in the background, to talk about her journey from Coos Bay to well, Coos…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #40: The guys take some time to discuss the past six months of guests and what they're looking forward to in the second half of Year 2 of the podcast.
Send us Fan Mail We can’t believe we are half way through year 2 of the podcast. The guys take some time during this episode to review the first half of year 2…
- The #beBetter Podcast
BONUS Episode: Zach Story joins the show for a special Father’s Day episode!
Send us Fan Mail Zach Story is the son of one of our podcast hosts, Mike Story, and he joins the show to talk about a variety of topics. Zach just finished his…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #39: Jim Martineau wants the best for his kids, that goes for his student-athletes and his own 2 children. What’s his key to success, is to surround himself with people who help him to be better.
Send us Fan Mail Jim Martineau has been the head women’s basketball coach at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City for 28 years and he has won a lot of…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #38: Mark Bauer reflects on his many years of teaching as well as raising 2 wonderful kids, whose biggest message to them has been, “I’m here for you.”
Send us Fan Mail Mark Bauer might be the tallest kindergarten physical education teacher in the country but that also means he probably has the biggest heart…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #37: The “SWOCC Hasbeens” joined their former coach, Mike Herbert, for a special edition of the podcast to talk about their chance encounter and how their friendship has grown over the years.
Send us Fan Mail The SWOCC Hasbeens are a group of incredible young women who all played basketball together at Southwestern Oregon CC. Kara, Heather, Jillian…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #36: Paul Rovella reflects on his journey from Haybaler to attorney at law in the salad bowl of the world, also known as Monterey County, California.
Send us Fan Mail Paul Rovella was about to become a teacher when a substitute teaching job quickly changed his mind. Substitute teaching tends to do that to…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #35: Nikol Baker is a mom, an educator, a friend, a mentor and is making an impact every day on those around her.
Send us Fan Mail Nikol Baker went to her first job interview with her mom, she wouldn’t recommend that to anyone nowadays, but it could not have worked out any…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #34: Meadow McWhorter was preparing to be a coach her entire life and she has her father, her first coach, to thank for it.
Send us Fan Mail When Meadow McWhorter was 12 years old she had the independence to tell her dad, “No, I don’t want to practice today.” This simple interaction…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #33: Greg & Kristen Perkins from InclYOUsion Sports are 2 incredible parents working hard to remove barriers for all kids.
Send us Fan Mail We typically record in the evenings on the West Coast, which meant that Greg & Kristen Perkins from InclYOUsion Sports (inclyousionsports.com)…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #32: Do you know anyone else who played 5 sports in 1 school year in high school? Ann Walker did and that drive and focus has only propelled her to accomplish so many more things in her professional career.
Send us Fan Mail Ann Walker has enjoyed exploring all types of things in her life from athletics to acting and mostly traveling. Her life has taken her from a…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #31: Dom Montiel is the definition of a student-athlete. He excelled in the classroom and in every sport he competed in at the high school level, but you wouldn’t know it from his humble outlook in this conversation.
Send us Fan Mail Dom Montiel joined us this past fall to share his point of view on being a collegiate athlete and his decision to transfer from a Div. 1…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #30: Retired Sheriff LeeAnnDra Marchese joins us to share why she went into law enforcement and now in retirement she still continues to help others in her community.
Send us Fan Mail LeeAnnDra Marchese was ready to go into the military when a chance encounter opened the door to law enforcement. She is open and honest about…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #29: CL Lindsay is only licensed to practice law in his home state so don’t expect to be getting any “formal” legal advice in this episode, but you can expect to get some advice from Madam Edith!
Send us Fan Mail CL Lindsay wanted to be an attorney since he was in the 10th grade and he did it, he made it to the big time and was practicing law in New…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #28: The fellas take some time to answer questions from their listeners and reflect on 2025!
Send us Fan Mail Year 1 of The #beBETTER Podcast is in the books and the hosts can’t believe how fast time has flown by. So many great guests, countless…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #27: Santa Claus joins us from the North Pole to discuss how he got into the giving business and why he continues year after year to spread joy around the world.
Send us Fan Mail **Friendly Festive Warning**: This episode of The #beBETTER Podcast covers a lot of different topics and we share some great stories with our…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #26: Dr. Rod Keller may in fact be the nicest human alive. He has spent his life in higher education helping students to understand that they belong.
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Rod Keller joins our hosts to talk about his personal and professional life where he tells us the secret to being a good teacher, but you…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #25: Jen Bagley-Trotter is tough, there really is no other way to describe this Minnesota native, but as we find out she is so much more.
Send us Fan Mail Coach Bagley-Trotter has spent her life coaching softball and she has always worked on finding her direction. Well, she has found her…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #24: Aaron Locks has been a leader in the youth sports industry for over 30 years and has impacted over 2,000,000 kids lives including one of our hosts!
Send us Fan Mail Aaron Locks has experienced many different failures in his life and he will be the first to tell you that without those failures he wouldn’t…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #23: Trina Comerford shares some advice for parents to make sure they don’t get thrown out of their kids' sporting events. Seriously, who would ever do something to get themselves thrown out of their own child’s game?
Send us Fan Mail Trina Comerford’s journey from mom to division 1 softball umpire has forced her to make some sacrifices, but she is well aware of the…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #22: Lt. Col. Seth Barrett joins us from Germany where he is currently stationed protecting America and exploring Europe with his dog when he gets to take a break.
Send us Fan Mail Lt. Col. Seth Barrett was a senior in high school in 1997 on the Santa Rosa High School basketball team where previous guest, Pat Kennedy…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #21: Amy Christensen is going to change the way you think about family relationships and make you rethink how you have been parenting your kids.
Send us Fan Mail Amy Christensen is the first guest that Jared recruited for the podcast and he could not have picked a better one. Amy was a first generation…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #20: California HS Athletic Director of the Year and podcast veteran, Justin Clymo, spends some time talking about the process and not the outcomes.
Send us Fan Mail Justin Clymo graduated from Stevenson School in Pebble Beach California, won a national championship while coaching at UC Davis, but he knew…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #19: The key to success is work ethic and attitude, if you ask 4 time NWAC champion Cheryl Holden.
Send us Fan Mail Coach Cheryl Holden talks about her journey from a small town in Washington to Vice-President at Columbia Basin College. We discuss the…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #18: Courtney Jackson has dedicated his professional career to the kids who need him most, it is his calling.
Send us Fan Mail Courtney Jackson learned to love the game of basketball as a young kid and his passion for the game took him to Sonoma State University, then…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #17: Mr. Sonoma State, Rich Shayewitz, stops by to talk about family, basketball and what’s next.
Send us Fan Mail Rich Shayewitz is and will always be associated with Sonoma State University, but a few short months ago, in the middle of the season as the…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #16: Ryan Reynolds shares his story from small town to the big screen, just kidding, this Ryan is the head football coach at Sutter High School in the central valley of Northern California.
Send us Fan Mail Coach Reynolds grew up in Humboldt county and always wanted to be a football coach. His time as an assistant coach under a legend helped him…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #15: Kathie Woods might be the happiest human alive, but the retired volleyball coach is still finding a way to compete except this time it is on the pickle ball court.
Send us Fan Mail Coach Woods is a coach, teacher and mentor and although is retired, she continues to teach and connect with her former student-athletes. She…
- The #beBetter Podcast
BONUS Episode: Joseph Herbert joins the show for a special Father’s Day episode!
Send us Fan Mail Joseph ("Joe") Herbert is the oldest son of one of our hosts, Mike Herbert, and his story will hopefully inspire other young student-athletes…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #14: The 3 hosts spend some time talking about the first 12 episodes, themes, what they have learned so far and what has impacted them to be better.
Send us Fan Mail A reflection episode to say the least, this episode is a look back at what we have done so far. Not many people know that we recorded the…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #13: Tiffany Cotter talks about her childhood, her passion for volleyball and how a knock on her hotel room door changed her family's life forever.
Send us Fan Mail Tiffany Cotter shares her family's story about losing her husband, Gene Cotter, and how she continues to get up every morning for her kids…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #12: Dr. Erica Tom is one badass human being who changed our lives and showed us all how to #beBetter.
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Tom is a quitter, but hear me out, it is a good thing. Listen to Dr. Tom discuss how her decision to quit really opened her eyes to how…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #11: Megan Hankins-Maldonado talks about how coaches need to take care of themselves before they can focus on helping others.
Send us Fan Mail Megan Hankins-Maldonado has spent her life coaching and helping others. Now she is focused directly on helping coaches be better so they can…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #10: Lennie & Jim Zalesky talk about growing up together and their joy of coaching the sport they have grown to love, wrestling.
Send us Fan Mail Growing up you might think that wrestling was the only thing talked about in the Zalesky house for the all-american and hall of fame wrestlers…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #9: Greg Clink talks about why culture and developing the whole person is the most important key to success.
Send us Fan Mail Coach Clink is known in the coaching industry as a guy who was always doing it the right way. Listen to him talk about how his past…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #08: Warwick Schiller talks about if he is a prince or a king and how that impacts why he does what he does.
Send us Fan Mail Warwick Schiller is THE Attuned Horseman and you may wonder why he would want to talk with us. He is a world renowned horse trainer, but he…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #07: Mary Jo Truesdale, recently retired hall of fame softball coach, talks about playing for “all the marbles” and the relationships she has cherished along the way.
Send us Fan Mail Coach Truesdale has spent her life and career dedicated to students and the game of softball. Although she started off as a basketball player…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #06: Ashley Bauer, former student-athlete and future nurse, shares her perspective on her high school athletic career from the good to the bad.
Send us Fan Mail Ashley is a 3rd year nursing student at Loyola University Chicago, but before she decided to move to the midwest she was a starting high…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #5: Pat Kennedy and how the relationships, not the wins and losses, have been the best part of the journey!
Send us Fan Mail Over 30 years in education, Pat Kennedy has been a parent, teacher, coach, administrator and official. He tried to retire, but is back…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #4: Eric Reveno is not afraid of the “F” word, but it’s not the word you are thinking of!
Send us Fan Mail Stanford University Associate Head Coach of Men's Basketball, Eric Reveno, discusses his coaching stops from Palo Alto to Portland to Atlanta…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #3: Mike Story shares his story from the farm to coaching and back again.
Send us Fan Mail Mike Story was born and raised in Orland, California. After graduating high school he attended Sonoma State University where he earned a…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #2: Dr. Jared Gardner shares how his childhood experiences and education have shaped him to be the student-centered person that he strives to be every day.
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gardner is a native of Eastern Idaho. After earning a bachelor's degree from Utah State University, Jared continued his pursuit of higher…
- The #beBetter Podcast
Episode #1: Dr. Mike Herbert shares how his past experiences have shaped him and how his path has led him to the #beBETTER podcast at this stage in his life.
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Herbert grew up in Hollister, CA and played multiple sports through high school including cross country, water polo and swimming but…